Review of Thief of Corinth by Tessa Afshar

The house is dark. A shadow moving near the door alerts Ariadne. An intruder?

Yes. He’s wearing a mask. Only he’s on his way out, and he hasn’t broken in. She follows him, silently avoiding his notice as her agile grace allows her to meld into the shadows when he finally turns around.

It’s her father.

As piece by piece, she begins to understand why her family broke apart, Ariadne must decide whether to yield to her mother’s rigid plans to wed her to a demented fiend, or follow her loving father’s forays into crime.

Such a story could only be told by a master storyteller, and Tessa Afshar is that. It’s been a good while since I’ve been so captivated by a book that I wouldn’t put it down. This one, though, did more than suck me into the world of ancient Corinth. It kept me mulling over the story for days.

This book touches so many issues. The pain of divorce and its effect on children. The dynamics of foster families. The dangers of success. Education and training for women in societies that traditionally exploited women. The power of the gospel of Jesus Christ to heal broken relationships and restore broken people.

This book helped me understand the New Testament better by painting a vivid picture of life in the cities of Corinth and Athens. The level of research makes this book come to life, and it’s all communicated via edge-of-your-seat action and poignant quiet places.

I wasn’t expecting the book to end as it did, but as I considered it over the next few days, I realized it was the right ending. That’s one thing I loved about the book. The story captured me, drawing me in until the growth the heroes experienced planted itself in me.

(That’s the mark of a good book: one that feels so real you find yourself changed along with the characters.)

That’s what Tessa Afshar accomplished in this book. I feel like Ariadne’s a friend, but more than that, that Tessa Afshar’s a friend.

Thank you, Mrs. Afshar, for the immense work you put into this book, and thank you, Tyndale, for making it available for free in exchange for my honest review. I honestly treasure this book.